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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27827725">the colour purple</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurenkmyers/pseuds/laurenkmyers'>laurenkmyers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>EastEnders (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, M/M, Pain, the truth</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 19:15:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>858</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27827725</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/laurenkmyers/pseuds/laurenkmyers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A bruised rib will cause Callum to finally lay all his cards out on the table.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>86</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>the colour purple</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I should really make this into a series and call it: ‘How many times can I force Callum Highway to confess all to Ben’ before he actually <strike>fucking</strike> does.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He’s fucked.</p><p>Completely, and utterly <i>fucked.</i></p><p>No matter which way this goes; he’s lost everything. The pain in his ribs doesn’t even register anymore, outweighed by the dread he feels, teetering on the edge of sanity.</p><p>The moment he steps through the door Ben is on him, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and hauling him in, laying soft, open mouthed kisses up his neck, trailing a path so hot Callum almost forgets where he is as he lets himself be ravished against the door. Ben whispers sweet words of encouragement in his ear that sounds like ‘I missed you today’ and ends with a low rumble of ‘Come to bed.’</p><p>But Callum can’t enjoy the feeling of being in Ben’s arms again because as Ben pulls him closer he traces his hands across the hard body beneath his shirt, and Callum winces, letting out a low grunt of pain before he can mask it with a groan of something resembling pleasure.</p><p>Ben stops. And Callum knows the game’s up. Gleeful (usually) in the knowledge that Ben is always so tuned in to every whimper and every sigh he’s ever released, but tonight it may just be his downfall. Before Callum can even beg for Ben to continue he witnesses the way Ben’s head snaps up to look at him; his name already falling from those wet lips.</p><p>“Cal?” he says with an eyebrow raised, “what was that?” He goes to lift Callum’s shirt again only for Callum to grab his hand and use the downward motion to pull the shirt firmly back over his stomach, concealing the deep purple bruise already forming under his ribs.</p><p>“Are you hurt?” Ben says finally, looking at him as Callum sinks back into the door to take some of the pressure off. Callum exhales loudly.</p><p>“I’m fi-”</p><p>“-if you say ‘I’m fine’ or ‘it’s nothing’ one more time, Callum, I will lose my fucking shit.” Ben huffs audibly, clearly not going to be swayed with the repetition of fake nonchalance. No more hiding behind excuses.</p><p>“Just an old injury from when Kush knocked me around a bit. When I fell I hit the corner of a desk on my way down. S’just a bit tender still, I guess.”</p><p>The way Ben looks at him now proves he hasn’t managed to worm his way out of this one. Both Ben’s eyebrows are raised high and his mouth is pursed with an upward tilt. It would be adorable in any other situation, but now it makes his stomach churn.</p><p>“Bullshit!” Ben says a little louder than either of them expected, “You weren’t wincing in pain when you were fucking me into the mattress last night, Cal. Try again.”</p><p>The blood rushes to Callum’s head and he scrambles to find the perfect lie to cover his tracks, he refuses to look at Ben, but can feel the piercing gaze drilling into his skull. The buzzing in his ears gets louder and louder and he feels sick, and before he knows what to do with it all the words come bursting out of him, like the air from Thompson’s punch had been expelled from his body all over again.</p><p>“I got punched.” Callum says, and that’s all he can manage to force out as he replays the feeling over in his mind; each knuckle, one by one, bearing down on delicate skin. The dull ache it left behind, a constant, pulsating reminder of just how deep this goes.</p><p>“Punched?” Ben says, clearly confused. When Callum doesn’t utter another word he steps closer and places a gentle hand on the side of Callum’s face. The sigh is instantaneous as Callum turns his face into the open palm.</p><p>Ben notices the very physical way that Callum calms the moment he has a hand on him, and he uses that knowledge to nudge further, crossing over the invisible barrier he knows Callum needs him to cross. His hand on the side of Callum’s face moves slowly downwards until it connects with the tight fist Callum has wrapped tightly around the bottom of his shirt.</p><p>“Can I?” he asks tentatively.</p><p>Callum nods. And Ben starts lifting the shirt upwards.</p><p>The purple scattered mess along Callum’s abdomen forces a sharp intake of breath from Ben, the stark contrast of colour on Callum’s white skin makes the unbridled rage seethe from within. <i>Someone’s going to pay.</i></p><p>Ben carefully lowers himself to inspect the damage a little closer. He grazes his knuckles over the marks and Callum flinches as he adds the slightest bit of pressure. It makes him draw back and look into Callum’s eyes. The sorrow seeps from Callum and he slumps further into the door behind his back. Defeated.</p><p>Ben leans forward and places the softest of kisses along the bruised skin and slowly lowers the shirt so he can hide the evidence of Callum’s pain beneath the thin layer of fabric. Gone from view, but never forgotten. He stands at full height and squares his shoulders.</p><p>“Tell me everything.”</p><p>This is it, Callum thinks. Time’s up.</p><p>He hopes Ben understands that it was all for him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>come and fangirl with me over on tumblr: laurenkmyers</p></blockquote></div></div>
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